Outgoing president Joe Biden is due to visit Rome later this week.

Meloni thanked “all those who contributed to to making Cecilia’s return possible”.

Sala’s partner, fellow journalist Daniele Raineri, told Ansa news agency: “I spoke to her and she told me ‘I’ll see you soon’, she was emotional and overjoyed.”

Mohammad Abedini is due to go before a court in Milan on 15 January, and Tehran has in recent days played down any connection between the two cases.

The head of Italy’s foreign intelligence service, Giovanni Caravelli, is said to have travelled to Tehran personally to bring Sala back to Italy.

Her father Renato Sala told Ansa he was proud of her and praised the government for an “exceptional job”.

He said he had had the impression that the situation had turned into a “game of chess, but with more than two players”.

Renato Sala also thanked Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, pointing out they had lived near each other for 12 years and had become friends.